Taping machine



May 17 1927.

P. L. ODONNELL TAPING MAGHINE Filed sept. 11. 192:5

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r I JMM'M May 17 1927.

P. L.. o'DoNNl-:LL

TAPING MACHINE Filed septyll, 192:5 z sheets-sheet 2 y wrm/7m.'

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Patented Mayu, 1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP. In. ODOVNNELL, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TAIPING- MACHINE.

Application 'ld September 11, 1923. Serial No. 662,134.

My invention relates to machines for applying tape to shoes, this operation being an essential part in the manufacture of the uppers of a good many styles of these arl ticles. V

I have set forth in a copending Patent No. 1,556,124, dated Oct. 6, 1925, the generic machine elements and process, of which this invention is a refinement.

It is my object in the present inven-w tion to provide a machine which canbe used for appl ing tape to a piece of leather or other fa ric, for re-inforcing or edging or otherpurposes, and which tape carries its `16 own heat plastic binding agent by means of which it is applied.

y mechanism includes a device for taking off the tape from a s ool or roll thereof, vand device for heatingt e tape, in order to zo makesoft, adherent and lastic, a cementitious coating thereon. t has a feedin mechanism for feeding a piece ofmateria to be taped along with the tape, and at the same time permitting the manipulation of the Work being fed so that it can be turned about, as in sewing a seam with a sewing machine. v

I have discovered that if an attempt is y made to employ the Work feeding mechanismv to draw a piece of cement faced tape through a heater, from a spool or other storage, in machines of the character herein, that uniformly good results cannot be had.

I accordingly have worked out a particular method and mechanism for `mounting and taking off thev tape, which is adjustable to suit different conditions.

I have also found that a simple sewing machine feed for the work in the absence of 4o a'pressure member which comes down on the work and travels with it, along with ,the underneath feed dog, will not give the best results, or permit of the desired manipulationfof the work.

have also arranged a partlcular device for holding the tape on thev feed'table or closely adjacent thereto, so as to obtain the greatest control on the action of the machine in following the required curves 1n a piece of work.

Prior to this invention and my allied invention, upon which apl lication has been filed, as above set fort I am not aware of vany one having successfully applied heat plastic' tape in the` manufacture of shoes by means of a machine which unites the tape to the article as it is attached thereto. This work is universally done with a tape to which cements are manually or mechanically applied which requires much skill, in avolding staining of. the article being treated.

I accomplish my object above set forth by that certain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my ma-` chine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a perspective of the feed table, taps 'de.

. e erring to the mechanism shown by way of illustration of my invention, I have not attempted to show the full details ofv al1 parts, as some of them are in common use in sewing machines, and have been for many years.

Thus I show a frame 1, mounted on a table 2, and operated by a motor 3. On the frame is a small feed table Il, havingan opening therein through which extends the feed plate 5. surface, and is driven by a cam 6, so as to rise through the table opening slightly, move transversely of the opening and then sink down away from the table and around to rising position again, through a rapid succession of continuous cycles of movement. Also a crank 7 on a shaft 8 is linked with the feed plate to enforce parallelism of movement.

,The motor drives the presser foot shaft 9 by means of a belt and pulley 10 and 10 respectively. From a crank on the shaft 9 is a connecting rod 11 which engages link on the shaft 8 for the crank 7, and also engages a crank 12 on the shaft 13, said last noted shaft having the cam 6 thereon.

The presser foot shaft drives an eccentric stud 14, to which is connected the link .15, same bein pivoted on a pin 16 held fast in the arm 1 This arm has a nose 18 to be engaged by a lift 19, and has a pivoted arm 20 that engages by clamping over the presser foot rod 21. A spring 22.on the presser foot rod 21 is engaged by this arm This plate has a roughened 20, and b the casing at the top of the machine, t rough which casing is slidably set the end of the rod 21.

By this means the, presser foot rod is operated, so as to be lifted,and having a spring return to depressed position. The presser foot itself isa slotted member 23 on the end of the rod 21. The fulerum in the lifting operation is the walking foot where it contacts with the work table.

' walking and foot and presser foot are as follows, starting with the parts as in Figure 3. The eccentric at the top of the machine revolves, thereby rocking the arm 17 and with it rocking the link 27, with the result of rocking the end of said link that is pivoted to the rod 25 downwardly. When the foot 24 contacts with the feed plate, which is timed to start its 'feeding movement as thc walking foot comes do'wn a ainst it, the pivot at 26 will permit the sai foot t0 travel along with the feed plate.- Also when the foot comes into contact with the feed plate, the pivot at 26 can no longer move downwardly, which forces the arm 17 to rise, carryingwit-h it the arm 20, and the presser foot rod 21, the link 27swinging up wardIy.

This happens (hiring the first quart/er turn of the eccentric at the top of the machine, and as the eccentric continues, the spring will first force the presser footdown again, holding whatever happens to be under it, against the table, and the walking foot is then raised, as soon'as the presser foot `comes down, whereupon the walking footis thrust forward by the spring 27, ready for its next step.

.This motion is not novel with me, but is to be found in sewingmachines havin a walking foot and a presser foot coo rating with a feed plate, and the result of t e feeding action is to advance a piece very rapidly by short steps, in fact, so rapidly that in the usual operation the motion seemscontinuous.

` For mounting a roll of tape I provide a shaft 30, bent down at 31, and adjustabl held by a clamping screw 32, in a stan ard 33. The roll of tape 34 ma thus Abe mounted like a spool on this sha '30, and the height of the shaft with relation to the base of the machine can be adjusted.

Mounted .on standards 35, 35 is -a'rotary shaft 36, having a pulley 37 thereon, that receives its motion from the shaft 13, through the medium of a belt. The shaft 36-1ies between thetape spool and the heater operation,l having first device, so thatthe tape must pass over it, with the tension of the tape, i. e. the amount thereof that has surface contact 'with the shaft 36 being adjusted by movement of the spool up or down.

In the base 2 of the machine is a slot 40, through which the tape passes. This slot lets into a heating duct, which in the example shown is L-shaped, and formed of a square tube 41, having idler rolls 42, located therein so as to'guide the tape and give it an anti-friction passage through the tube. An electric heater unit 43 is shown which applies heat to the tube 41.

This tube 41 extends up through the base to aI point fairly close to the feed table, where it emerges from the tube and passes over a roller 44, and thence through a holder and guide piece 45. This guide ieee lies just forwardly of the engagimT pomt of the feed plate, and may be forme of a piece of flat metal bent to form a narrow horizontal opening, and screwed down to the table as at 46.

My process then proceeds as follows: The

olperator lowers t-he lift 19, so as to permit t i e presser and walking feet to come into fd the tape through the uide, and underneath the presser foot. He t en turns on the heat, and runs enough of the tape through the machine by starting thev motor, to be sure that the heat has rendered the plastic coating thereon into a soft, adhesive stage. He then takes a piece of work, such as a 'shoe upper, and feeds it under the resser foot and walking foot, operating tie machine at the same time. The operation will then result'in causing the tape to adhere along the line of feed of the piece of material, to the underface of same, as it is fed. s

. I find that it is absolutely essential to have the tape feed shaft 36, to help the feed of the tape, as if it were merely pulled along by the action of the work feed, it will break, and cause much loss of time. I find it essential to use a combination of feed walking foot and presser foot, so that t ie action on the ta e is correct, and of course, the heater must e emplo ed to makethe tape plastic and adherent. he small guide plate,

late,

close to the -work is also a necessary feature,

as it prevents curling, and gives the correctk tensionon the tape, keeping it from running slack, and bunchmg up or wrinkling on the work.

' B theuse of my invention in the taping of s oes, I find that five persons can do the work of around twenty, and that the piecewyork rates can be cut down to one sixth of the hand work cost, with higher daily wage to the worker than by the and system.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent; is

1. A mechanism for the purpose-described, comprising a tape mounting device, a. rotary feed element, over which the tape must pass, a heater with relation to which the tape is guided', and a work feeding device comprising a feed plate arranged to come in contact with the work during a portion of a cycle of movement, and a walking foot and presser foot adapted to contact with the feed plate, and means for uiding said tape from the heater to the said work feeding device.

2.' A mechanism Vfor mount-ing and feeding a heat plastic tape to a Work feed wherein it is to be fed along with a piece of work and caused simultaneously to adhere thereto, comprisingr a storage mechanism for the tape from which it can be withdrawn, a feeding device formed ofpa continuously driven rotary member over which the tape must pass after leaving the storage mechanism, a heater with relation to which the tape is guided, and means for guiding the tape to the work feed, Where it is fed along with the wo'rkto which it is to be attached said work feed of a type to intermittently advance the tape and work. i

` 3. A mechanism for mounting and feeding a heat plastic tape to a work feed wherein it is to be fed along with a piece of work and caused simultaneously to adhere thereto, comprising a storage mechanismfor the tape from which it can be Withdrawn, a feeding device formed of a driven rotary member over which the tape must 4pass after -it leaves the storage mechanism, a heater' with relation to which the tape is guided, and means for guidingthe-tape to the work feed, where it is fed along with the work to which it is to be attached, said guiding means comprising a member lying close to the work feed, andforming a fiat, restricted aperture through which the tape must pass.

v 4. A mechanism forvmounting and feeding a heat plastic tape to a work feed, wherein itis to be fed` along with a piece of work to whichit is simultaneously caused toadhere, which consists, in a heater through which the `tape passes, a guide adjacent to the work feed, and presenting a flat narrow aperture through which the tape must pass, a storage reel for the tape, and driven rotary means acting between the storage reel and the heater for imparting a feeding movement to the tape.

5, A mechanism for the purpose described, comprising a tape mounting device, a rotary feed element over which the tape must pass, a' heater through which the tape is guided, and a work feeding device comprising a feed plate arranged to come in contact with the work during a portion of a cycle of movement, and a walking foot and presser foot adapted to contact with the feed plate, and means for guiding said tape from the heater to the said Work feeding device, said means comprising a member having a flat restricted aperture through which the tape must pass, y

to hold it taut in the work feed.

6. A mechanism for mounting and feeding a heat plastic tape to a work feed wherein it is to be fed along with a piece o f Work and caused simultaneously to adhere thereto, comprising a storage mechanism for the tape from which it can be withdrawn, a feedingdevice formed of a driven rotary member over which the tape must pass after leaving the storage mechanism, a heater with relation to which the tape is guided, and means for guiding the tape to the work feed, where it is fed along with the work to which it is to be attached, said heater formedof a tube, a heating element applied to said tube, and rollers in the tube to provide an anti-friction path for the tape there-through.

PHILIP L. ODONNELL. 

